How to Replace the Oil Pressure Sensor for a 1998 Jetta GLX

In 1998, the Volkswagen Jetta came in a total of seven trim levels: GL, GT, TDI, K2, Wolfsburg Edition, GLS and GLX. The GLX, which was the top trim level, came fitted with a 172-horsepower, 2.8-liter V-6. This engine required 29 psi of oil pressure at 2,000 rpm when the oil reached 176 degrees F and a maximum of 101 psi of oil pressure above 2,000 rpm. A small switch -- oil pressure switch -- mounted just above the oil filter monitored the oil pressure and triggered an oil light on the instrument cluster if the oil pressure was too high or low.

Instructions

1

Raise the front of the Jetta and crawl under the front of the vehicle, towards the passenger's side. Find the oil filter on the passenger's side of the engine -- near the front of the engine compartment.

2

Look just above the oil filter -- on the oil filter housing -- and find the oil pressure switch, the only electrical sensor plugging into the oil filter housing. Position a drain pan directly under the oil pressure switch to catch any oil that may leak from the filter housing when you remove the switch.

3

Pull the wire from the oil pressure switch, using a slight wiggling motion. Remove the oil pressure switch, using a ratchet and deep-well socket.

4

Apply a coat of liquid thread sealer to the threads on the new sensor, if the sensor does not already have sealer on it. You can identify existing thread sealer by the threads having a red coating on them. Allow the thread sealer to dry for the time specified by the sealer's directions -- typically 5 to 10 minutes.

5

Hand-tighten the new oil pressure switch into the oil filter housing. Use a torque wrench and deep-well socket to tighten the sensor to 18 foot-pounds. Plug the wire back into the top of the oil pressure switch.

6

Raise the Jetta GLX from the jack stands, using a floor jack, and pull the jack stands from under the vehicle. Lower the Jetta to the ground.

7

Open the vehicle's hood and pull the oil dipstick from the engine. Wipe the stick off with a clean, lint-free cloth and reinsert it. Remove the dipstick again and verify that the oil level is between the two lines on the base of the dipstick. If the oil level is low, unscrew the oil filler cap from the top of the engine, insert a funnel in the oil filler hole and add small amounts of 0W-40, 5W-40 or 5W-30 engine oil until the level is within the two lines -- the engine should require less than 1 quart to refill. Tighten the oil filler cap back onto the top of the engine.

8

Take the old oil to a used automotive oil-recycling center for disposal. Some auto parts stores take old oil free of charge.